Why Adobe removed "Save as PDF" functionality from Reader 6.0

[From Thursday, May 29]

We previously noted that the "Save as PDF" function, available to most Mac OS X applications via the "Print" dialog box, is disabled in Adobe Reader 6.0. MacFixIt reader Lowell Halvorson offers a convincing argument for the reasoning behind this move:

"Printing a PDF through the OS (and down to a lower version of PDF) would strip out some of the copy-protection features built into Acrobat.

"For example, you could disable editing privileges in an PDF file you wish to distribute -- say, a quote, a contract or some proprietary data. However, if you permit printing privileges, then I could print a new PDF file and re-open it in Acrobat -- free to perform the previously-forbidden functions of copy, paste and edit the file to my heart's content.

"The only way to block this end-run around Acrobat's content protection is to deny printing completely -- not a solution for contracts that want signatures or for many other content distributions.

"To me, Adobe is blocking a feature so convenient that it practically negates its editing securities.

"Please note that blocking the 'Save As PDF' feature from the print menu only buries the dodge. You can still use the older technique of generating a PostScript file and running it through Distiller to re-create a PDF file with editing security stripped out."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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